Education Studies

Description

Education Studies takes a multidisciplinary, liberal arts approach to the field of education while focusing on the study of human learning and development, the history of education, teaching, school reform, and education policy. Concentrators choose an area of emphasis, either Policy-and-History or Human Development. Policy-and-History provides the historical underpinnings and intellectual skills for students to think critically about education issues in a number of settings. In the Human Development area, students learn about psychological, social, and cultural processes in a variety of contexts, including schools, families, peer groups, and neighborhoods, particularly in urban settings. Additionally, the Department offers teacher certification programs in elementary and secondary education. Finally, concentrators might also consider pursuing the Engaged Scholars Program, which allows students to connect theory and practice and gain hands-on experience working with community partners. Luther Spoehr is the Director of Undergraduate Studies, and advisor to all seniors and to juniors on the Policy-and-History track. Yoko Yamamoto advises juniors on the Human Development track and all sophomores.

Requirements

Honors and Capstones

No capstone is required for graduation; however, students who qualify for Honors complete a capstone in the form of an Honors Thesis during the senior year. Concentrators seeking to graduate with Honors must have earned more A’s than B’s and must have completed one of the department’s two methods courses (EDUC1100 or EDUC1110) by the end of the junior year. They must also apply for admission to the Honors program and submit a thesis proposal during the sixth semester. Honors candidates must also take EDUC 1990 and EDUC 1991 (Independent Reading and Research), in which they write a thesis under the guidance of a Thesis Advisor, and make an oral presentation of their work. Please see the department's website for a complete description of admission procedures and department requirements. You may also contact the Honors Advisor, Prof. Tracy Steffes.

Tracks

Human Development

Policy-and-History

Liberal Learning

This concentration allows you to address the following Liberal Learning goals:

Affiliated Departments

Advisors

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Graduating Class

Year

Total

Capstone

Honors

2012

34

9

2

2013

32

7

3

2014

36

14

2

2015

28

11

3

2016

27

2

Alumni Pathways

Former Education concentrators have attended graduate programs in international education policy, urban education policy, political science, public health, elementary education, school psychology, and other fields. They have earned Fulbright and other fellowships and gone into careers in k-12 and university education, in non-profit organizations, museums, finance, and in local media.